"We can only applaud the fact the court has handed down a
harsh sentence... we welcome any deterrent to would-be poachers," said Sarah Scarth, the director of the South African branch of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Correspondents said that ivory poaching is relatively rare in South African game parks, although local people snare wild animals for their meat.

The total ban on ivory sales, imposed in 1989, is widely credited with stemming the slaughter of Africa's elephants.

There is a growing lobby in Africa for the ban on ivory sales to be removed.

However, IFAW says poaching in South Africa would worsen if
the country went ahead with its controversial plan to auction
about 28 tonnes of ivory next year, after similar one-off sales
to Japanese buyers this year by Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

The three countries say the proceeds from the sales are
being ploughed back into conservation projects but many
environmentalists claim a fresh supply of ivory on the market
will be like a red rag for poachers.

Park spokesman William Mabasa said that heavily armed poachers were also a threat to wardens and tourists, and needed to be treated as dangerous criminals.